Spaulding Roundup - A Suspension, A Concussion, and (Not So) New Guys
by freesia39 on Sep 7, 2011 6:30 AM PDT
in Football
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PrintUCLA returned to the practice field for the first time after the Houston game with some good and bad news.
First the bad news: Kai Maiava has been suspended for one game for a violation of team rules. According to the LA Times, Maiava tested positive for marijuana. Under UCLA policy, you are suspended for one game if you are caught for the third time. If you are caught a fourth time, you lose your scholarship and are removed from the team.
The good news? Jeff Baca returned to practice, although he isn't in game shape, according to him. According to Bob Palcic, he is ready and will play on Saturday. The offensive line musical chairs will be in full effect on Saturday.
In Maiava's absence, Greg Capella will slide over from guard and start at center. Chris Ward will start at one guard and, if Baca is ready, he'll likely take over at tackle and move Sean Sheller to guard. Albert Cid will play the second guard if Baca is not ready to go.
More injury news, after the jump
Kevin Prince sat out of practice on Tuesday, as per concussion protocol. He is hoping to return to practice on Wednesday, as he has no concussion symptoms and the pain in his shoulder has subsided.
"I’m feeling pretty good," Prince said. "I got the range of motion back in my shoulder. There’s a little pain when I try to throw so we’re trying to work through that, but I think I’ll be ready for Saturday."
Coach Neuheisel said he will wait until Wednesday on deciding if Prince will start (and notice it did not say name a starter.) He also mentioned he wants to see Prince run with more caution.
"I think there are things he can do to take less abuse," Neuheisel said. "There are ways to get down. Kevin is a competitive kid. He certainly doesn’t want to be hurt so we’ll hopefully get him back quickly.
Jon Gold reports in Prince's absence, Brett Hundley took the second team snaps, and his passing has improved as his knee healed.
The football team found themselves "heavy" one athlete - Brandon Willis. Brandon Willis is officially a Bruin (again) after re-enrolling at UCLA and was at practice on Tuesday. He is still awaiting a waiver from the NCAA to play this season. If it is not granted, he will redshirt this season and have three years of eligibility remaining. Hopefully the NCAA will allow him to play this season. Welcome back, Brandon.
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anyone else worried about center play?
I like capella, but wasn’t he having a lot of issues snapping the ball this last spring?
Also, with prince, this sounds like him before the cal game last year. Feeling a little pain, but I’ll work through it. Uhh, no. If you’re not ready, don’t rush it because of a sense of duty. Cal last year was an annihilation because you weren’t ready. Love his character…and in another vocation, such tenacity would be a welcome aberration….but just not in this sport.
And there must be some good weed on the west side to tempt guys into potentially losing their schollies over it…
by Scotucla03 on Sep 7, 2011 7:04 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
He could barely move against Cal
It’s a different situation here. I still expect Brehaut to start, and Prince to get a few series. That would be the right thing to do. But I have a sinking feeling that the game will be much too close for comfort…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Doesn't the onus fall on The Rick to do what is right?
He is the adult in this situation. Kevin Prince is obviously going to want to try and gut it out. Besides a natural competitiveness you would expect out of a D1 athlete; he also has a financial incentive to catch the eyes of NFL scouts.
Rick needs to man up and not only do what is best for Kevin; but ultimately for the team. He needs to sit Kevin for at least a week, and realistically 2 weeks.
I have no idea what is going through The Rick’s head right now.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
True
I’d prefer Prince not to play at all, but I just expect CRN to put him in there to keep him game-ready.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I assume
by game ready you mean aggravate the injury or injure something else. smh
ouch...
so cynical. Poor Kevin.
Somewhere, in an alternate universe, Kevin has played two full seasons of football and is leading us towards a Pac-12 title this year…sigh…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
3rd Time Violation for Maiava?
The way I read it, he would not have been suspended for a game but for the fact this is his third time.
Anyone know if this is standard on most teams, strict or lenient?
sjh
Seems like a UCLA rule
But I could be wrong. I’m basing it off of me not hearing about this type of suspension at other schools. It might just be that the LA Times assumes our players are smoking weed every time they’re suspended for “violation of team rules”.
USC hands out medical marijuana cards on the 3rd offense.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Nice read!
I really enjoy beginning my day in the office with a good cup of Joe and Bruins nation. You folks put in a lot of work and its greatly appreciated.
3rd time testing positive? C’mon man….
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that counts" - John Wooden.
UCLA Football Not Important Enough for Maiava?
It sounds like he’s had two chances to choose between our team and his dope. In addition to the fact that he’s breaking the law, it also sounds like he’s actually made his choice already.
Love My Bruins
THREE STRIKES
Enough is enough – he’s just hurting the team now. He should immediately lose his schollie and be kicked off the team – he doesn’t deserve to be a Bruin!
If you were to expel
anyone who smokes weed, there would be a lot of empty seats in the lecture halls at UCLA…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I think DaChiBruin
was implying that an student-athlete representative of the university needs to be held to a higher standard, especially one on scholarship.
I agree
He hurts the team by not being able to play with him.
Kicking him off the team prematurely (ie. before his 4th violation) would hurt them as much as Miava getting busted a third time.
It kinda sounds like “Cutting off your nose to spite your face.”
I prefer forcing him to get drug treatment/counseling. Getting him to control MJ use is better for everyone.
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 7, 2011 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree – but we’re talking about an athlete here who is on a free ride – I don’t want to donate money to the Athletic fund to pay for his bad habits. Besides – if he gets away with it what about the other players?
Well
the university has a policy. I guess it depends on your views about marijuana.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I'm sure
there are students on academic scholarships who smoke. should they be tested and kicked out if they smoke?
by King J77 on Sep 7, 2011 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Actually, King, I think they should
I have no dog in this fght, because I pay no taxes to California (at least directly.) The issue is whether kids on scholarships should be kicked out for drug use. Drugs are generallly not free. If someone has enough money to use for drugs, then he should not need help from tax payers and others. Everyone at most schools (just$c* being the exception of course) has economic issues. Everyone has to allocate scarce resources (income) into categories. The allocation for dope is in effect stealing from those who contribute money.
There is a big story in the local headlines here in Tampa, about a Navy vet (and the ACLU) suing to stop drug testing of welfare recipients. Lots of issues there, of course. No one is willing to say that a welfare recipient has a vested right to have public funding of a dope habit, but in effect that is exactly what is being said by those who say a welfare recipient has a right to both public money and no public scrutiny of where that money is going.
Isn’t this fundamentally the same argument about banning tobacco? People eventually have to use public funds to deal with the health issues caused by their decision to smoke. So it’s unfair to have to allocate substantial public funds to that purpose.
Each student at UCLA makes many choices each day, and Maiava is no exception. If he chooses to smoke dope, then he follows a long and rich tradition of Bruins who did the same thing. Should any Bruin be allowed to use his or her scholarship money on dope? I don’t see the justification for that. I might have if I were still a student and if I smoked dope. But not now, as a geezer who doesn’t smoke and whose liver is toast.
Sorry to ruin the thread by getting philosophical.
kids on academic scholarship should also lay off the cheetos
the future costs for public funds caused by obesity dwarf any costs associated with marijuana use.
but
I’m pretty sure marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to increased and more frequent cheeto usage.
Well
Although they may eat more…….
http://gawker.com/5837815/pot-smokers-less-likely-to-be-obese
by lil eg not cs on Sep 7, 2011 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Man I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way
But I have a hard time believing that students weren’t smoking weed back in your day. I think some of the older folks didn’t have a problem with it back then because it was associated with peace, love and woodstock. Now that it is looked at as a gateway drug and is associated with hip-hop culture it is the devils drug.
I do agree with you that if you’re on welfare or scholarship you should be tested as you’re taking money and therefore shouldn’t have any for illegal drugs.
Sure - lots of guys used dope back then
I don’t know if the dopers I knew were on scholarship. I know that I wasn’t on scholarship, and I had to allocate my scarce funds to be able to afford beer. I don’t know if beer is or was more expensive than dope in various forms. I know of no scientific studies on this, but more guys I knew as dopers disappeared out of school than guys I knew as beer drinkers. If someone is going to give you money for your education, but you want to spend the money you are given on dope, that to me doesn’t seem fair to those who are giving their scarce resources to you.
And Chris, the Cheetos argument is a little straw-manish in my opinion. But go ahead and equate dope to cheetos. I don’t think they’re quite in the same category. The working for the scholarship argument is a little weak, in my view, given that basically every student, man or woman, would gladly trade places with any of our football players and take the full ride, tutors, etc., If there are strings attached to the free ride, I would have accepted them.
The cheetos thing
was an attempt at humor.
However, I still think that using the welfare drug-testing issue is a completely unfair comparison. A D1 scholarship football player is more often than not, a success story of a young individual. Those on welfare are at best, down on their luck, but more often they are simply a leech on society.
There is an ongoing conversation about paying college athletes, because they are successful individuals who work their asses off and bring in huge amounts of revenue for their institutions. I refuse to equate their situation with that of someone on welfare. I don’t think that just because many would love to have the opportunity to be a scholarship athlete at UCLA means that they don’t work for it. Their work (and talent) is the reason they have the scholarships and you and I did not. And there are strings attached which Kai has to accept, as we will witness this Saturday.
That being said, none of this is an excuse for Kai. While I am not upset by the fact that a college football player smoked some pot, I am upset with Kai for breaking an “unspecified team rule” when he knew ahead of time it could have a detrimental impact for both himself and the team.
the cheetos thing
was something I brought up. It isn’t particularly strawmannish to point out all the other things students do that might impose costs on the public when that seemed to be your sole justification for why kids on academic scholarship shouldn’t be able to decide how to use the resources allocated to them. You want to draw an analogy with tobacco; I want to draw an analogy with cheetos. I don’t see why yours is more valid. Cheetos and tobacco are both legal substances that I would recommend people not to consume.
Or
instead of spending more taxpayer money to drug test welfare recipients, we could just cut welfare benefits so people are more incentivized to be productive members of society!
As for that logic applying to scholarship athletes, the situation is a bit different. I would argue that an athletic scholarship is more a form of payment for services rendered that it is a form of welfare. Sure, some kids wouldn’t be attending college without one, but there are also lots of families who are more than capable of sending their kids to college, but if the kid earns an athletic scholarship, you take it! Kai works for his scholarship, he doesn’t sit around collecting unemployment.
Rules are rules
Independent of your views on marijuana, it is currently illegal and against team rules. I’d argue that in one year, once = reprimand and punishment from coaches. Twice equals one game suspension. Three times equals loss of scholarship. Everybody deserves a second chance, but at some point enough is enough.
The rule is three times and a one game suspension. So be it. Lets hope he gets his crap together and realizes playing college athletics, right or wrong, means you are held to a different standard and greater responsibilities. These kids are on scholarship and represent the university in a public manner. They are indeed held to a higher standard. I don’t care about what other kids are doing or if it’s a systemic part of the sports culture. Cut the crap, at least during the school year. Same goes for alcohol in my opinion (underage & in excess). You have a commitment to the school and the team. Young people make mistakes, but they have to be held accountable at some point.
Legality of Marijuana
It is legal in places outside of the US (and you can test positive for quite a while after a pilgrimage to Amsterdam) and by public demand, medicinal marijuana use is legal in CA.
Whether or not MJ use is legal, moral or acceptable: I agree that he should get his crap together. He knows that they do drug testing.
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 7, 2011 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Maiava
Why do we even care if he’s smoking weed? Medically/physically it does a lot less damage to your system than cigarettes or alcohol. We’re not kicking kids off the team for either of those. And legally, under California law its only an infraction and no worse than speeding or running a red light. And I’ve never heard about us kicking anyone off the team for moving violations.
I Agree, JD
But, I also agree with de-criminalization.
I guess it’s not the weed but the disrespect for a team rule that is of concern.
I assume we suspend players who have been drunk three times during the season, too. Right?
sjh
The Team Rules Are A Concern
I’m not arguing that Maiava didn’t deserve a suspension. Team rules are team rules and they need to be followed. I just don’t think using weed should be against team rules, so long as its not affecting their ability to play which is another issue.
so
you support breaking the law? Last I heard, smoking weed is still illegal except for medical reasons in California. Or maybe I’m mistaken?
"medical reasons" in California is in practice not much of a limiting factor
For all we know, Kai could have a Prop 215 card.
formerly bruinhoo
To be clear, the repeated violation of team rules is a big deal
regardless of whether 1) the pot report is accurate, and 2) if accurate, he is legally permitted to use it.
formerly bruinhoo
It's a very big deal.
We’ve had more than a few “team violations” under CRN, and I sincerely wonder whether CRN has instilled the requisite amount of fear/respect in his team. It’s troubling.
Formerly AllHailMightyBruins
right, indiscipline is definitely frustrating
relatedly, one of my own ‘eye test’ items going forward:
No more taunting penalties!
Failing that, “no more taunting penalties when you are losing and have literally no reason to be taunting anyone”
+1 LOL
Right. Taunting reflects poorly on UCLA – it makes us look like bad sports.
Taunting when you’re behind makes us look stupid.
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 7, 2011 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree 100%
If I could go back in time, I would go back and prevent that defensive end from the Jets who started the sack dance. I think there is a certain irony in the fact that I don’t remember his name.
Of course, I can’t complain too much, given all the taunting that goes on in the courthouse. You get an objection sustained and you’re allowed to slap your chest and run around doing defensive back type stuff. That happens all the time.
would love to see some of that footage
presumably you make vigorous ‘incomplete’ arm motions when an objection is overruled. Or is it a ‘1st down’ gesture? I’m a little confused as to whether the objector is the passer or the defense… or does it depend on who is the prosector and who’s witness it is?
*prosecutor
I don’t know who is prosector and who is antisector…
Spiking your briefcase in the well* always made the ESPN top ten
- The well is the area between counsel table and the bench, and the first thing you learn when you become a lawyer (I think it’s in the books about studing for the LSAT) is that you don’t walk in the well. So this was a joke.
+1
Team rules are team rules and Maiava is hurting the team if he doesn’t follow them…
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Sep 7, 2011 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
+1
at this point, who really cares whether he smokes dope or not…
But the fact that he knows the rules and doesnt have enough respect for the team to at least not smoke during the season, makes this a character issue.
Come on Kai, pull your head out of your arse.
Keep clean and I’m sure plenty of kids in the student body will get you stoned after our Bowl game this year…
by WestlakeVillage Bruin on Sep 7, 2011 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Yup
Maybe he’s trying to get over that bad snap…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
well, to forget
and keep the Irish from taking over the world
by impaulv on Sep 7, 2011 8:19 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
The world might be a better place is the Irish ruled it.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
I'd rather he smoke weed
than drink alcohol.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
nah
You can’t test for alcohol after a few hours & I’d rather our players not break laws.
Of course, I’d rather he do neither, but lets be realistic….
plus
Alcohol is give you a hangover & kill your liver (years from now, if ever, if used in moderation)
Weed will give you a nasty cough ;-P
Just ask Fox
about alcohol. Makes you do stupid things.
What gets me is, when you know you’re going to be tested, why risk it? Dude lost a year of playing football. I’m assuming he actually likes playing football but who knows. You’d think he would be a little more careful, no?
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Exactly
He knows the outcome. That’s why I’m thinking he’s made his choice here, already.
Love My Bruins
I've done a bit of extensive research on alcohol myself, so Fox's POV isn't needed.
And you’re right – he knows what he’s doing. Like Bruingirl says below, seems like he’s made his choice…
Hello, my name is Fox 71 and I'm an alcoholic
Want to hear my story?
Want to look at my liver?
Want my shortened life span?
Just keep drinking, Bruin brothers and sisters. You are NOT invulnerable any more than I was or am. A liver is not a very forgiving thing.
Man. I'm sad to hear it.
A friend from HS drank himself to death and it sucks.
I hope you’re doing the most you can to keep healthy.
I hope the young turks on BN realize that your liver (and knees) will have the last laugh.
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 7, 2011 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I stopped a bit over 20 years ago
My last 20 years have been far better than the 20 just before those. No one knows but those who have done it, but not drinking is infinitely better than drinking. I wish my brothers and sisters believed me. No headaches the next morning. Your mouth rarely feels like someone stashed their old gym socks in there. And guys, I can tell you with absolute certainty that when you get tipsy, you are not cool or sexy or funny or hip or suave. You are loud and obnoxious and act like an ass. And you don’t smell so good, either. Girls, you aren’t cute. You’re loud and obnoxious and also act like an ass.
But I’m a geezer and no one will believe me. I feel bad for you, but I have known how John the Baptist felt for a long time. I only hope it doesn’t happen to you.
One more thing – heredity has something to do with it. If either of your parents drank a little too much, chances are you might, too. I don’t know how scientific that is, but I think I got it from one of my liver doctors.
Sam. Alcoholic.
Clean and sober 23 years myself. Fortunate to get sober at 23 years old.
I hope Maiava doesn’t have a problem, but from my experience doing something over and over expecting a different result is a bad sign.
His being academically ineligible for a bowl game years ago, even at that time, reminded me of my academic issues when drinking and using. My life got a lot worse. Hope his is youthful stupidity.
Maybe you need to chill
There’s a policy in place for a reason. Aside from the fact that his actions are detrimental to his team, it’s not like he robbed a convenience store, raped a girl or stole someone’s laptop. I agree with your comment about the free ride, but let’s not blow this out of proportion. A lot of kids in college smoke weed, he just happens to be on the football team.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I’m trying to chill and I do understand about a lot of kids smoking in college – but if you just keep allowing him to get busted on test after test – what about the athletes (on scholarship) who want to smoke crack, get juiced up or whatever? Where do you draw the line – after 25 failed tests? I don’t want to be regarded as another usc.
U$C
would have swept this under the rug. When was the last time you heard about a U$C player getting busted for weed? [crickets]
I don’t want to get into a sociological discussion with you here, but you can’t lump in weed with crack. I mean, come on! The university policy is, get busted 3 times, get suspended for a game. A fourth time, lose your scholarship. Seems pretty reasonable to me.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
regardless of your personal views on marijuana
First hit on Google says:
As of January 1, 2011, possession of one ounce (28.5 gms) or less of marijuana is an infraction, punishable by a maximum $100 fine (plus fees) with no criminal record under Ca Health & Safety Code 11357b.
and, according to Wikipedia,
An infraction is not a crime (see People v. Sava (1987) 190 Cal.App.3d 935, 235 Cal.Rptr. 694) … punishable by imprisonment. In other words, any person convicted of an infraction may only be punished by a fine, removal and/or disqualification from public office. Typically, most infractions are punished with a fine only. Examples of infractions in California are traffic violation such as exceeding the posted speed limit, etc.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone here. Ever jaywalked in California? That is also an infraction, also punishable up to about $100.
by VeniceBruin on Sep 7, 2011 9:33 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
and I should add
that despite my name, I have never actually smoked marijuana, lest you think me unduly biased in my opinion here…
LOL!
So your the guy in Venice who has never smoked dope…
I think there is one guy in Humboldt as well
by WestlakeVillage Bruin on Sep 7, 2011 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Effects
Also from Wikipedia:
“Aside from a subjective change in perception and, most notably, mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects include increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term and working memory,12 psychomotor coordination, and concentration.”
I think this is probably an acceptable justification for the team rule, that Maiava has now apparently broken three times.
This is not about “sin.” This is about respecting your position and your team enough to follow the rules under which you knowingly accepted a valuable scholarship to a very prestigious university in the first place.
This is not personal. I personally think cannabis should be legalized, and regulated the way alcohol is.
I also point out that none of us have any idea of the amount Maiava actually “possessed” at any given time, or where. It is speculative to assume that he possessed once ounce or less, that he did not operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana, etc.
I have jaywalked in California. ;-)
Love My Bruins
That little blip from Wikipedia forgot to mention the "The Muchies"
Maybe that;s why he uses the stuff, to keep his weight up.
Been a Bruin since birth
breaking laws vs breaking rules
totally agree that if you respect your teammates and your team, you shouldn’t break team rules. This is true for everything from smoking marijuana to being late for team meetings. I would go further and say that if you respect your teammates, you shouldn’t eat crappy food, have too many late nights, slack on your schoolwork, or expose yourself to unnecessary risks in your other daily activities. Clearly Kai made a decision that his personal enjoyment was worth the risk of being caught, and I am not condoning that any more than I would condone any behavior detrimental to the team.
I am not sure the ‘short-term’ effects are the relevant concern for creation of team rules, if by short-term they mean things that are experienced in the immediate aftermath of consumption and wear off quickly. But, as noted by other posters, there are plenty of other things that also affect people physically/neurologically, notably alcohol. One could definitely argue that a night of drinking is likely to have significantly greater detriment on your performance the next day than a night of smoking pot. I suspect the team rule is more a legacy of the legal status of marijuana than of a strict correlation with performance.
And you are right, I have no idea how much he possessed at any given time; he has not been imprisoned, so I would presume he did not commit a serious misdemeanor. I would generally prefer to assume the best-case scenario about our student-athletes rather than assuming the worst. I am optimistic he will get himself together – and play better than he did against Houston!
Actually, now I think about it, I have no idea what Texas law is on marijuana; so if team officials caught him smoking after the Houston game, the legal distinctions above may be moot…
FYI
Possession of Marijuana – Texas Health and Safety Code
§ 481.121. OFFENSE: POSSESSION OF MARIHUANA. (MARIJUANA)
(a) Except as authorized by this chapter, a person commits an offense if the person knowingly or intentionally possesses a usable quantity of marihuana.
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is:
(1) a Class B misdemeanor if the amount of marihuana possessed is two ounces or less;
(2) a Class A misdemeanor if the amount of marihuana possessed is four ounces or less but more than two ounces;
(3) a state jail felony if the amount of marihuana possessed is five pounds or less but more than four ounces;
(4) a felony of the third degree if the amount of marihuana possessed is 50 pounds or less but more than 5 pounds;
(5) a felony of the second degree if the amount of marihuana possessed is 2,000 pounds or less but more than 50 pounds; and
(6) punishable by imprisonment in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years or less than 5 years, and a fine not to exceed $50,000, if the amount of marihuana possessed is more than 2,000 pounds.
§ 12.22. CLASS B MISDEMEANOR.
An individual adjudged guilty of a Class B misdemeanor shall be punished by:
(1) a fine not to exceed $2,000;
(2) confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days; or
(3) both such fine and confinement
§ 12.21. CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
An individual adjudged guilty of a Class A misdemeanor shall be punished by:
(1) a fine not to exceed $4,000;
(2) confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year; or
(3) both such fine and confinement.
Love My Bruins
yeah
message “don’t mess with (pot in) Texas”
Am I missing something?
Again, assuming that the fishwrap’s claim is accurate, I have not seen anything pointing to Kai having done pot while on the road trip, just that the result of a drug test was presented to Kai and the coaching staff at some point before Tuesday’s practice.
formerly bruinhoo
no not missing anything
just mentioned Texas because we were all making an assumption that such consumption as occurred took place in California; and making moral-ish arguments based on the legality or otherwise of pot-smoking.
Don't mess with Texas ...
got started as an anti litter campaign. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don’t_Mess_with_Texas>
So every time a Texans says that to me, I reply “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute”
by KnudsenRockne on Sep 7, 2011 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Prince vs Brehaut
I still don’t get why Brehaut is not named the starter. Brehaut throws better, we move the ball better, we score more points with him… I am a bit lost. What the hell do I know, but I see a healthy Prince throw balls off target all day long. Maybe Prince is smarter and is better fundamentally, but the passing game is weak with him and has always been. Ryan Leaf was not the sharpest tool in the shed and may not have been the most fundamental, but in college the guy was a gamer (I apologize to Brehaut for comparing him to Leaf). I like the gun slinger, I like the way our offense responds to Richard…I just don’t see it with Prince. Why this is even a discussion is beyond me
by uclaron1 on Sep 7, 2011 10:05 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
+1 on Brehaut.
As far as I am concerned, he starts with Prince coming off the bench as needed. This coming from someone that has always been in Prince’ corner.
Been a Bruin since birth
in CRN's two press conferences post-Houston, there were a couple of points
1) CRN thinks Brehaut is still not always operating ‘within’ the offense
2) CRN said Prince gives us ‘quicker’ play at QB – I assume this is quicker in the sense of calls, reads, and things like fakes/handoffs, and not in terms of athleticism or arm speed.
Possible CRN is just trying to keep the competitiveness going, but from his comments I think he is seeing things in his comparison of the 2 QBs that make it more finely balanced than most posters here think it should be.
No disagreement here.
I think Prince could be a very good QB if he stayed on the field long enough to excel. He has never had time to mature due to injury. Under the current circumstance, I feel Brehaut gives us the best chance of success in the near future and maybe long term.
I would prefer Prince heal and only be used as a necessary backup.
CRN is certainly in a better position, than I, to make that kind of call though.
Been a Bruin since birth
This sounds like a question of micro managing to me.
1) CRN thinks Brehaut is still not always operating ‘within’ the offense
Is this really what it boils down to here? The Rick is willing to jeopardize his teams chances of success because RB won’t do it his way?
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
I highly doubt it's an ego thing
if CRN prefers the QB that does it “his way”, it’s because he truly believes “his way” improves the team’s chances of winning.
The only problem with that is
Rick’s way hasn’t brought us many wins recently.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
chicken or egg
if Brehaut hasn’t been doing it Rick’s way, then your argument is flawed…
Quick reads
and running the play called. It seems Richard is not as good as Kevin at doing either. But he is a gamer and does better on broken plays. On broken plays, Kevin tends to get…broken…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
ouch
pretty soon we’re going to need to sacrifice a chicken to deal with all this negative karma…
Does anyone have a copy of the team rules/drug policy?
Curious to see what standards our team is being held.
wow only $100 fine for less than an ounce
And I got a $439 fine for driving without a seatbelt. Hardly seems fair. Kai has had a lot of problems snapping the ball in his UCLA career.
by chirobruin on Sep 7, 2011 10:21 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Well...it's for your own good?
You could die without a seatbelt. You won’t die from less than an ounce of ganja…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I Think
…it’s because you probably won’t die without a seatbelt, but you’ll be critically injured then require a very long period of very expensive care, then an even longer period of rehab, thereby costing your insurance company or the public coffers—or both—a lot more money than if you really did just die instantly. Oh, the costs of increased automobile crashworthiness and the tremendous progress of occupant safety technology.
But, I’m something of a cynic.
Either way, you’re right, the ganja is safer. And cheaper.
Love My Bruins
Yes
And as much as Fox proselytizes about alcohol, I will do so about seatbelts. Wear them people! It saved my life.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Seatbelt law
probably more about increased revenue from citations while not pissing off many people. Who is fundamentally opposed to requiring seatbelts?
Because a school bus weighs so much
that more often than not the people in the school bus are in relatively less danger.
Hmmm
I have to think about that. Not to dispute your reasoning, or science, but…little kids flying around inside a rolling school bus like little jelly beans?
When I was very young, my best friend was killed, on a school bus. You just don’t forget, I suppose.
Love My Bruins
Rolling around like jelly beans is definitely bad
it’s just that an accident that severe for a school bus is exceptionally rare. It’s the same reason seat belts aren’t provided on public buses, or passengers in motorhomes aren’t legally required to wear seat belts.
That being said, if seat belts would make the kids safer, maybe they should be in there!
Me
If the only person that can be hurt by a broken law is the lawbreaker himself, that law is fundamentally flawed.
Well
I would prefer than any potential car accidents I get into have zero fatalities. I know that if I were to get into an accident, even if it were the other driver’s fault, and that driver happened to not wear their seatbelt and be killed, that would have an extreme impact on me.
Another scenario, my insurance company has to pay out $2million in medical expenses after an accident in which the other driver wasn’t wearing their seatbelt. Psychic powers tell me that had they been buckled, they would have suffered nothing more than whiplash.
I agree with your statement, but I’m not sure it applies to seat belts!
Seat belts save lives and save dollars
I see both sides every day. The seat belt team is winning about 99,998 to 2.
Injuries to restrained passengers in accidents are far fewer and less severe then unrestrained passengers. The costs associated with those injuries are directly related. Society bears a large portion of all these costs, so the more frequent and more severe injuries among unrestrained passengers costs all of us a lot more money than it would if they were buckled.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
by gbruin on Sep 7, 2011 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Really Tasser?
I am unrepentant non wearer of the seat belt. I would love to hear your story.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
You'll change your mind
when a moving truck runs the red light and hits you head on while you’re making a left turn. First day on the job after college, trying to find parking in Westwood. Veteran and Gayley. New car totaled. Airbag + seatbelt saved me. Only had a few scratches and a bad neck sprain. Airbag won’t deploy if seatbelt isn’t buckled…at least it didn’t in cars back then.
Point is, it’s the other morons you have to worry about, even if you’re the best driver.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Same
It’s self defense. Same with helmets when skiing. Too many yahoo out-of-control Texans out there.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
I remember
Phil Hendrie had an episode where his “guest” believed that smoking pot was a good precaution when driving on firestone tires, so that when the inevitable blowout occurred, the crash wouldn’t hurt as bad.
+1
I do agree that team rules are an important issue here, but evidence suggests that cultural attitudes in the US and worldwide are shifting increasingly in favor of decriminalization of a non-addictive and physically nearly harmless drug (even studies that show it may be psychologically addictive has given up the game in this one = can’t blame the drug for users who have addictive personalities).
BTW: it was Arnold who passed the 100$ fine for an ounce law. I believe his legacy stands on that and redistricting (both of which I take to be good things).
Not worried
He deserves everything he gets!!! If your dumb enough to get caught 3 times, maybe he’s not smart enough to play UCLA football. Let alone Maiava had 2 false starts called on him last game, plus a bad snap, he was a big part of UCLA losing that game against Houston. All in all this just shows us that some of our players need to pull their head out of you know what and focus on what’s paying their tuition to a great school.
by Trojanswearskirts on Sep 7, 2011 10:32 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Agree and dont agree
He does deserve his punishment and any future punishment should he get caught again.
But our offensive line is not what cost us the game against Houston. For whatever reason, our defense came out and got worked in the first half.
The false start in our last possession of the first half definately hurt as it played a role in us giving the ball back to Houston. But our defense rolling over for that last Houston touchdown right before the end of the half was a killer and is far more deserving of the “big part” tag you mention.
by WestlakeVillage Bruin on Sep 7, 2011 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Don't wanna sound whiny or preachy but ...
It doesn’t sit right with me when fans call one of our players an “idiot” or say he’s “dumb” (Although, it always brings a smile to my face when I see “your dumb” ;)
He did a dumb thing breaking that rule and there is no doubt. But let’s not call him dumb for breaking that rule – even if it is his third strike. If he’s got a substance abuse problem, that sort of criticism isn’t going to help.
Good point on "your dumb" - Those crack me up.
It was in those sorts of comment threads where I saw someone complaint about a person who was such a “Pre-Madonna.”
That remains my personal favorite.
lol
I can’t stand people that were around before Madonna!
Thoughts
Long time reader first time poster…like a lot of others I’ve seen today. Nothing better then a good marijuana post to get some fence sitters to post.
All this talk of laws and possession, I am speculating, but do not think Kai was ever “caught” with weed, athletes are randomly drug tested throughout the course of the season. If he was caught it would have been reported such as the speeders from Oregon who “smoked it all” prior to getting pulled over. With drug testing there are privacy laws. Also just because he is being suspended for this weekend does not mean he was just tested in the last couple of days.
Either way he let the team down, hopefully its a wake up call for the others too.
You know what Kai should have done?
Smoked a whole bowl, get on a car with Brett Hundley, drive 140 mph on the 101 (after getting through the valley of course). When cops pull him over, he’d just have to say “we smoked it all.”
by Nestor on Sep 7, 2011 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, no, Nestor. You're not getting away that cheaply
You are all probably in a drug induced haze giggling hysterically because someone just cut the cheese.
for the absence of pot, probably
for the reckless driving, I doubt it!
CRN hit it on the head about Prince!!
" I think there are things he can do to take less abuse. there are ways to get down!" I see it just like coach, when it comes to Prince. He chooses brawn over brain in get down situations, and takes the collision. Bad idea for a QB. What he has in talent, is trumped by his bullish desire to take a hit. Sounds gutsy, but very “Selfish” to me.
( For the best Ability is Availability.!!! ) And Prince is not available enough!!
Furthermore, RB reminds me of CRN when he played here: Steps up in the pocket to avoid pressure, slides both left and right to extend a play, and runs at the right time!!
Coach, play RB!! I loved Kevin Prince, but now I’m convinced he wants to be a lousy RB, not a QB..
Just frustrated that Prince is so tough, that he gets hurt man.
I wish he wasn’t so galant in his approach to contact. He needs to be available for his team.
Can't wait to get Xavier Su'Filo back at LT next season.
Good thing we are playing musical chairs on the O-line for SJSU instead of Texas….
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